PREYS
by Kamorgana
Preys
Chapter 12: One step forward, two steps back
Shinomori was alone when Saitoh showed up to work, shortly before ten.
He had arranged a meeting with his contact before, which had been for
nothing. The profiler was immobile, leaning on the desk, arms folded,
contemplating a big map of the city, which was pinned on the white
board. The locations of the two recent crimes, and of the previous
ones, had been indicated in respectively red and black.
"Still trying to guess his next move?"
"."
"I'll take that as a yes."
Shinomori turned finally to him. "We have to figure it out."
"It may be at random."
"I have to think more."
Saitoh took his old folders and notes. If Shinomori concentrated on the
locations, he would check the victim's profiles. He was right. They had
been so busy looking everywhere for Shishio, Komagata and some new clue
that he didn't have yet the time to sit down and think. He had to order
the facts, to be logic. It was his method. Dismissing mentally another
annoying
issue that had distracted him away from the case, he read the files
completely again. Then began to list. Categories: 7 prostitutes. A
housewife. A convenient store employee. Yukishiro Tomoe, a cop. Seta's
mother, this was different. A shop-owner. A student. Komagata Yumi.
This time: Komagata, maybe. 1 prostitute. Sanjo Tsubame, a socialite..
He cast his glance on Shinomori, who was writing numbers on the board
now. 4 numbers...
He was a moron. A total, absolute, winner-of-the year moron. He
deserved to be slapped to death for his stupidity, and spend an
eternity in the section
of hell reserved for idiots, with Sagara for sole company.
"Komagata is already dead," he finally announced. "He's murdering them
in the reverse order."
They shared a look.
"I see that the 31/13 problem has retained your intention," added
Saitoh, savoring his cigarette, for once. Most of the time he wasn't
even conscious of the taste anymore. "I can't believe it took me that
long to figure it out. I was so focused on Sanjo being the Mayor's
niece and taking part to social events that I forgot her real
occupation. And I had her bloody student card in hands! So, what can we
expect?"
The other thought for a while, as always very spontaneous. Not that
Saitoh disliked the fact.
"The location problem is a bit different. No other type of victim has
been murdered in the 31st precinct. So I think he keeps the order of
location, just reversing the number."
"The order of killing or the order in which they have been attributed
to him?"
"That's the point. If he acted in the order of killing, Sanjo's body
should have been found in the 32nd, as the second victim was found in
the 23rd. So I think that if your theory is right, Komagata was
executed in the 13th precinct also. And the next one will take place in
the 12th as Yukishiro
Tomoe was murdered in the 21st.The target will be a prostitute. Then
only
there will be one in the 32nd..What?"
Saitoh was grinning. "32nd is the harbor area. It wasn't a lucky place
for Shishio. And we'll arrest him before that, believe me."
Anticipation was running in his veins. They had a grip on their prey.
"I call Kondo."
"It's not your job," warned Shinomori.
"So where is she?"
"She arrived by nine, but left few minutes later."
"Really."
It was past noon now. Was there an amused glint in the icy eyes? If
Shinomori was waiting for him to ask for more details, he was wasting
his time. Saitoh tossed his cigarette in the ashtray. People might be
right: he was paranoid. He stood up to pour himself some coffee.
Takani rushed in. It was becoming a habit. He had always thought her
calm demeanor was only a façade, and her late behavior was only
confirming his opinion.
" I have news. Tokio-chan isn't back yet from the funeral? I can't
believe she went, or that you let her. After what the brat.."
She cut off as Shinomori gave her a warning glance. She turned and
realized his presence. She blinked, confused for an instant.
"Oh..Good morning, detective."
Saitoh nodded, ironically.
***
(Earlier in the morning)
The small cemetery was located on the hills, outside the city. Tokio
turned away and they walked together to the gate.
"Is he going to be OK?" she asked Hiko, nodding towards the young man,
who was still kneeling in front of the grave, his hand extended as if
taking an oath, tears escaping from his burning eyes.
Seijuro used to "bully" him as a payback for dating his precious niece.
Yet since the murder Tokio had noticed, with relief, that they were
supporting each other instead of bickering. She knew that Hiko used
alcohol the way she used cigarettes, and she didn't want to see him
drowning in the bottle. He needed someone to keep him in line. He had
organized the private funerals officially to avoid journalists, but she
knew it wasn't the real reason. He was so cynical and disabused about
people, that he had only business acquaintances, no friends. He was
content with himself. He only had let Tsubame in, and although he
didn't show it, she knew that for the first time he was experiencing
loneliness as a burden.
Tokio also knew that she couldn't fill this void. He had given her a
lot; he had taught her that a relation could be about respect and
exchange. She had showed him that not everybody was trying to use him;
that he could be wanted for himself. Nevertheless, even back then it
hadn't been enough, and Tsubame had made them aware of it. When she
came into their lives, she needed her uncle and didn't want to share
him. Tokio had taken the decision
when the girl had pushed to it. She had realized that she didn't love
Seijuro enough to fight for their relation, and neither did he. Yet
they
had changed each other's vision of life, in a sense, so they'd always
have
a special link, and what they had shared was still there, in the odd
friendship that their relation had become. Even if they didn't see or
call each other on a regular basis, whenever they met the complicity
was unchanged.
"He needs time."
"And you? I know how important she was to you." First hand.
He grinned. "I'll survive. Thank you for coming," he added, solemnly.
"You didn't have to."
"I'm your friend, Seijuro. When you need me, I'll be there. And it's
not like Tsubame and I couldn't stand each other anymore. We had a
disagreement a long time ago, that's all."
They stopped outside, near the gate, silent for several minutes. The
melancholy she had felt in him during the short ceremony and in the
cemetery faded, leaving place to the Hiko Seijuro that everybody knew.
"No damn journalists in sight. Good. Will you thank Takani-san for me
again? I really appreciate that she covered the release of Tsubame. She
looked very tired, I'm sorry I had to wake her up so early this
morning. By the way, she thought you were at my place, last night," he
finished, in a detached tone.
She glanced at him sideways.
"I didn't confirm nor deny. Isn't that collar a little too high on your
neck for the season?"
She shook her head. "You know, I've always hated that in you. That
habit you have to notice or remember the most embarrassing things about
people. And to tease them with it."
"So there is something embarrassing about it?" he countered,
innocently, which made a funny contrast with his serious face and
cynical smile.
She smiled back. Hiko was cultivating a rather strange sense of humor,
usually at people's sake, but she was glad to hear it now.
"None of your business. I have to go back to work now. I can hope to be
back by noon."
"I promised you to stay out of it. But catch him."
"We will. I promised you, too."
***
Saitoh was quite satisfied at Takani's confusion. She didn't need to
tell more for him to guess where *she* was.
*She* came back at that very moment. She inspected their faces, and
asked cautiously:
"Another disaster?"
"Yes" answered Megumi, at the same time Saitoh was saying "No".
She sighed: "Let's clear that," sitting in her chair next to the board.
"Bad news or goods news?" proposed Saitoh, leaning on his seat, his
feet crossed on his desk, more wolfish than ever.
"You have good ones?" gasped Takani.
"Somebody said good?"
Misao had stopped on the threshold. Behind her was Enishi. Could he
look more somber, wondered Tokio. She put the thought aside. "Sit down.
Should we wait for Sagara and Kitaoka?"
"Sano is trying to contact some old "friends" about the first murder.
They won't come back before late afternoon, unless you want them to,"
provided the young girl. Her face was eager. "Is there really some good
news?"
Tokio stared expectantly at Saitoh, then at Megumi.
"There's another one," stated her friend.
"We figured him out."
Tokio took her cell phone. "Kitaoka? Come back, now."
***
Guessing that nobody had lunch, Tokio had called a pizza delivery
service, and the food arrived half an hour later, at the same time as
Sano and Tsunan.
"Let's start with the bad news," started Tokio. She didn't touch her
food, smoking instead.
Megumi stood up, pinning pictures of the autopsy on the board, next to
the city map.
"I could *finally* get the first victim's body for another autopsy
early this morning, and could compare her wounds with what I saw on
Sanjo's body. These were too close to Shishio's to be the work of a
copycat. Nevertheless, what I examined this morning was a 100% perfect
match. The difference of strength is even slighter than in the
Shishio/Seta crimes, yet it exists. Overcoming this fact had slowed the
investigation ten years ago. Shishio is not working alone. I think
there are two killers this time, too."
"Aoshi?" Tokio didn't care about revealing her nervousness now. She
took another cigarette right after she ended the first one.
He waited, as always, before giving an answer. "To speak the truth, I
was quite surprised that he worked alone. Serial killers working in
team are no common phenomena; they rarely change their pace. Moreover,
we know that Shishio was the dominant. Killing to appeal at the
partner, using the old modus operandi, would have been more believable
if Seta had been the one out. There's another problem."
"Why did he wait for ten years?"
Aoshi rewarded Enishi's remark with an approving nod. "He must have
been severely wounded, considering the circumstances of his
disappearance. The time for him to heal his wounds is likely. But he
could also have needed time to form another disciple."
Nobody talked, the silence getting thicker minute by minute.
"What would be the profile? Close to Seta's?" Saitoh's eyes were
glittering.
"Probably. I have to work on that, and I of lack references. Young,
abused, vulnerable so Shishio could have modeled him to his way of
thinking. He and Komagata moved next door to Seta about ten years
before the crimes began. It matches."
"Saitoh, I think it's time you give us your good news..The troops'
moral couldn't be lower," sighed Tokio.
He glanced to Aoshi, who wrote the numbers on the board, in line: 31,
31, 31, 21, 23, 14, 9.
"These are the first precincts where the Slayers struck, in the order
that the crimes were attributed to them by the police and the media,"
he stated. "Now.."
He wrote the reverse numbers under each one. 13, 13, 13, 12, 32,41.
"The next crime will take place in the 12th precinct," began Saitoh.
***
Needless to say that hope was on every face once he finished. Saitoh
was surprised, nevertheless, at Takagi's genuine smile to them. To him.
"Good work," she said simply. "Aoshi, do you have a theory concerning
him repeating the same scheme? After all, the difficulty to figure his
choice of victims had been a factor in the time it took to get him."
"I would say publicity. He wanted us to now that it was him. I've
always profiled Shishio with a large ego -reason why the crimes'
frequency raised after the media got in- but chewing the facts for ten
years must have increased it in quite a proportion. He obviously
stopped to care about his own safety; this is surprising, as Shishio
has always paid a particular attention to it. Yet in ten years he must
have accumulated a serious amount of frustration, assuming that he
didn't kill. The other possibility is that his new partner wants the
credits too much for that. It's a twisted need for recognition."
"That's why we get them all in the end," snorted Saitoh.
"It can also explain why he is using the order of attribution and not
the order of the killing for the locations. He appeals, consciously or
not, to the collective memory of the crimes. It may be a way to
challenge us, though changing the rules enough to keep some advance."
"And why doesn't they change the frequency? It would surely be a better
way to take us by surprise. Sorry if it's a stupid question, it's not
my usual field.."explained Tsunan.
"A serial-killer masters the time. When he kills has to do with his
compulsion, how long he enjoys the anticipation before the need to kill
is stronger than him, before the memories of the previous murder begins
to fade and he needs new ones to replace them. For instance, in the
Slayer case, the publicity gave them more pleasure, increasing their
urge to kill. But unless he reaches a new stage, he will not change the
frequency. His ego wouldn't stand it."
"Reverse the order of the victims, and the locations but not in the
same way..Isn't that a little too complicated? I know these guys are
not thinking straight, but.." Sano was a bit dubious.
"If they were as simple-minded as you, it wouldn't be such a problem to
arrest them in the first place.." Saitoh was smirking. Pissing off the
rooster was almost as satisfying as a cigarette.
"It's only a theory," pointed Aoshi at the same time.
Tokio stood up, cutting short Sano's yelling. "It's all we have, and
it's better than nothing. I'll ask Kondo to have the whole 12th
precinct on patrol next Wednesday, and some help from the Criminal
Department. Makimachi, I'm not canceling the search on Komagata, dead
or alive, we have to find her. For the alter ego, you and Yukishiro can
work with Saitoh and Shinomori on that. Sagara and Kitaoka, you are
still on the other murders..and if you can convince the pimps you know
not to let their girls on the streets..but not a word about the 12th,
or the second murderer. It's classified. I think I could have another
press conference tonight. Text- book style, he's not as smart as he
thinks, we'll get him soon, but I can't comment?"
"They will take it as a provocation, but that won't prevent them to
strike again. Only make them more eager," answered Aoshi.
She smiled. "It seems that the roles are finally reversed. We take
initiative now. The research work can be made through phone or
computer. Do the most you can this afternoon, and don't feel compelled
to come tomorrow unless it's necessary. Take your Sunday off, next week
will be busy."
***
It was past seven when Tokio came out of her office. Only Saitoh was
still there, sitting at his desk. He turned to her, and they really
stared at each other for the first time since the morning.
Tokio saw him walk to her, taking her roughly in his arms, pulling off
her collar to reach the mark he had left at the crook of her neck. He
kissed it, teased it with his tongue, as she was closing her eyes, her
fingers tangling in his hair, feeling him hardening against her,
heating her skin from head to toes.
Saitoh felt her pressing to him in response to his embrace, her arms
gripping his shoulders, her nails digging in his back already, yielding
to him, whispering his name again before she welcomed his insistent
tongue in her warm mouth...
"See you on Monday, Detective," she managed to say in a mild tone,
walking to the main door.
"Aa," he answered coldly, not moving from his chair, reporting his eyes
on the documents he was reading before her intrusion.
To be continued..
Author's notes:
Sorry for the delay, I was busy and writing another story. I'll try to
be more regular (^-^).
About the briefing in this chapter, it shows their first theories on
the murder. On some things they will be right, and on some other wrong.
The modus operandi is very basic but there's a reason behind it, too.
Part of the last scene is of course a fantasy, I'm not sure that I
managed to make it clear, I wanted to show that although Saitoh and
Tokio managed to have a normal behavior at work, they didn't erase the
events of the previous chapter so easily.
Special thanks to Mara for once again checking the chapter and the
grammar! Special thanks to Firuze for her advices, too! (^-^) You're
the best girls!!!
Thank you to the reviewers!
Firuze: Thank you again! Tokio is more vulnerable now, so she thinks
that he wins, but Saitoh isn't going to get away with it either (^-^).
For the misunderstood brat, you know that there is a part just for you
in next chapter (^-^).
FlameSolo: Thanks a lot!
Oryo: They can for now, they both live for their work. I'll develop the
consequences of their one-night-stand in the following chapters, I
think according to this. Yes, Tokio has more to loose, she's going to
realize it at some point. Mediaminer seems very complicated for my
retarded brain (^- ^), but I think that I will post there too someday.
Thank you
also for the tip on the URL!
Devil: Dense, oh yes (^-^). If you mean by tasks that they're going to
have problems to deal with what happened, that's for sure.
Jadegoddess: Yes, and no..(^-^). Everybody (except Aoshi) thinks that
they can't stand each other, and as you see they can separate their
work and their privacy for now.
Next chapter: Saitoh is annoyed, Tokio is upset, Enishi paranoid,
nothing new under the sun. But why is Megumi hysterical, and why is
Aoshi going to visit Misao at her place? Some new revelations on the
Slayers, too.
See you!
Kamorgana.
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